‘Beautiful, cheeky’ toddler died in curtain cord tragedy

His death was referred to Coroner Heather McKenzie, who released her findings publicly this morning.

Permanent suppression orders prevent the Herald from publishing the boy’s name or any detail that would identify his family.

“[His] parents described him as their beautiful, cheeky, and sweet little buddy,” Coroner McKenzie said.

“They are devastated and heartbroken to have lost him and also suffer seeing [their daughter] grieving for her brother.

“They want to avoid the same thing happening to any other parent/family and believe that there should be better safety messages regarding blind cords.”

Hours before the toddler died he had been at the beach with his family.

They returned home for lunch and then his father tucked him in bed for his usual mid-afternoon nap.

“The day had been like any normal day, nothing was different, and [the toddler’s] behaviour was normal for him,” said Coroner McKenzie.

“[His father] thinks he closed the blind and curtain … and the bedroom door was closed. He heard [the toddler] ‘babbling away’ to himself as he usually does.

“[His] bed was pulled away from the wall and he was known to jump off the bed a lot. Sometimes when [his father] checked on him, he was behind the curtain in between the blind.”

At about 4pm the boy’s father went to wake him.

The boy was not in his bed and his father thought he would be hiding behind the curtains.

“He found [the boy] in front of the curtain with a cord wrapped around the front of his neck,” said Coroner McKenzie.

“He told police it wasn’t around his whole neck, or wrapped around in loops. It was only the front of his neck.

“The cord was used to pull the blind up and down. Usually [the boy’s mother] would remind [his father] to put the blind up and wrap it high around the railing.

“He did not think [the boy] had ever played with the cord before. Other than hiding behind the curtains, [the boy] had never been known to have jumped or played with them.”

Coroner McKenzie said there was nothing out of the ordinary in the boy’s room.

His father explained that while sometimes the toddler “stacked up his pillows to reach his drawers to get his books” – he had not done so that day.

“It appears to me on the available evidence that [the boy] was playing in or otherwise near the blind, the cord became wrapped around the front of his neck, and he was unable to extricate himself,” said Coroner McKenzie.

“I do not know how long he had been there before [his father] discovered him.

“In all of these circumstances, I find that [his] death was a tragic accident.

“[He] was a very much-loved son and brother. He is greatly missed.”

After a sudden death, a coroner has the power to make recommendations or comments for the purpose of reducing the chances of further deaths occurring in similar circumstances.

Following the death of a 19-month-old girl in 2018, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale made extensive comments and called for strict and sweeping regulations in the window-coverings industry.

At the time she said five other Kiwi children have died in similar tragedies and much more needs to be done to save little lives.

Coroner McKenzie said given Coroner Borrowdale’s “detailed research, comments and recommendations” she had nothing further to add.

Coroner Borrowdale said the dangers around blinds and curtains became evident as toddlers gained mobility and became more curious about their surroundings.

While they had the motor skills to access blind cords, they lacked the cognitive ability to understand the risk of strangulation – and the developmental maturity to free themselves if they got entangled.

“Window blind strangulation incidents can be fatal within minutes and can occur silently. In this regard, they are similar to child drownings,” she said.

“Accessible window blind cords should be considered as hazardous to young children as standing bodies of water.”

She said the public was aware of the danger of cords “to some extent” but may not be aware of the dangers of inner cords.

There are currently no mandatory regulations or enforceable requirements around blind cords – including design specifications, safety advice and the supply or installation of corded internal window coverings.

She noted that some larger suppliers of window coverings were already undertaking “responsible practice” and strongly recommending to customers that safety devices were purchased when ordering blinds – or that they should be retrofitted to existing blinds already installed – in areas where children may be present.

But she wanted more done to promote safety and prevent harm and death.

“It is impossible to supervise children constantly, and these events can happen quickly,” she said.

“Primary prevention through product and environmental modification is the most effective agenda.

“To that end, safety standards have been legislated or adopted in many countries to help prevent unintentional strangulation involving corded internal window coverings in domestic settings.”

No such measures were in place in New Zealand, which Coroner Borrowdale said was “regrettable”.

“Efforts to educate the New Zealand public on mitigating the hazard of blind cords have focused to date on the installation of cleats or cord-tidies out of the reach of children, and on ensuring that beds and other furniture are not located near to corded blinds,” she said.

“Those efforts, while laudable, are alone not sufficient to protect young New Zealanders from the risks of corded blinds.”

Coroner Borrowdale recommended:

Coroner McKenzie said there was also a vast amount of publicly available safety advice on the internet including Product Safety.

“Other websites to provide awareness and safety information, for example: Starship, The Sleep Store, Tenancy Services and MBIE,” she said.

“In March 2022 the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research released its paper “Corded blind safety: Keeping 1- to 4-year-old children safe”.

Coroner McKenzie extended her condolences to the boy’s family for their loss.

His parents told her they were “just surviving day in, day out”.

“It is too painful and hurtful … it has taken a mental toll on us all.”

SAFETY TIPS – Protect your young ones at home

Blinds and window shades with cords and window coverings with cords – including blinds, Roman blinds, roller shades and curtains with a pull-cord – pose a serious hazard to young children.

Between 2009 and 2024, seven young children in New Zealand died after being strangled by the cord of a window blind.

The safest window coverings in homes with young children have no exposed pull cords or inner cords – including cords against the back of the fabric (such as in Roman blinds), which can be equally as deadly.

Accidental strangulation can happen very quickly, and no one can watch a child 100% of the time. In less than the time it takes to boil the kettle, a young child can become tangled in a loose cord and lose consciousness.

It’s important to consider window coverings throughout your home, not just in children’s bedrooms – anywhere children may be able to climb on furniture or reach windows.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz